Vending machine



Jan. 5, 1932. B. L; FRY ,839,842

VENDING MACHINE Filed Jap. 16,1930 3 sheets-sheet 1 I N131@ imm Hum.

` Jan. 5,1932. B. L. FRY j 1,839,842

VENDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 16, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l ff A Ami.

B. L. FRY

Jan. 5, 1932.

VENDING MACHINE Filed Jan, 16, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet Patented Jan. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES 'PATENT eprice BENJAMIN L. FRY, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNIOR TO NATIONAL SALES MACHINE COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, CORPORATION VOF -MISSOURI VENDING MACHINE .Application iled January 16, .1930. vrSerial No. 421,295.

This invention relates to vending machines of the type disclosed in an application filed by me November 18, 1929, Serial No. 408,082, in which there is provided a column of compartments each compartment adapted to receive one package to be sold and a vertically movable closure operates in frontl of the column to close all the compartments and successively uncover them as sales are to be made. The present invention relates more particularly to the means for controlling the ,action of the closure, ythe obj ectbeing to provide means whereby a sale cannot be. completed until the plunger lhas vmade'a complete forward and backward stroke. The invention also has for its object the provision of a simple, compact and inexpensive guide necessary to an understanding of the presiV ent invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, v

Fig 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, Y Y Fig. 5 isa transverse line 5 5 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a detailpperspective view of the plunger support 'and.guide, and

Figs. 7, Sand 9 are detail elevations'ill'ustrating the. successive movements of the closure andthe means for operating the same.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates 'a portion of a cabinet which encloses the operating mechanism and the articles which are to be vended. At 2 is shown detail section on the Aone column of compartments in which articles to be vended are placed, said column containing compartments 8 of proper dimensions to receive the particular package or article which is to be vended. It will be understood that the cabinet may be constructed lin any desired size to contain any Vdesired'number of columns and that adjoining columns will be separated by partitions so that each column will be entirely independentof all the other columns, the partitions 'being omitted in the accompanying drawings. TheV columns and the operating mechanism associated therewith are duplicates anda description of one will s uice for a description of all. The column of compartments is preferably formed from sheet metal providing a back wall 4'and side walls 5, the front of the column being open an-d having outturnedianges 6,as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. A door or vertically slidable closure 7 extends the full height of the column and rests against the frontfaces of the flanges 6, said door or slidingplate being provided with a reentrant iiange 8 along oneedge which fits around the adjacent flange 6 of the column so as to be guided and held thereby. At the opposite side, the Aplate has va rearwardly extending flange 9 which extends past the adjacent flange 6 and has a `cleat or guide strip 10 secured theretoat the rear of the flange so as to engage behind the same and guide the closure in its movements. On its 'outer side, the flange or lip 9 is provided with a plurality of studs or projections 11 which are spaced apart distances corresponding to the heights of the several compartments in the column, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. Secured `to the framework of the cabinet at the front of the closure are bars or vertical strips 12 which cover' theside edges of the closure and thereby eifectually frustrate attempts to pry the closure from its guides and thereby obtain unauthorized access to the article containing compartments. Adjacent the upper yextremity of the'do'or or closure isa forwardly projecting lip or fingerpiece 13 whereby the door may be drawnkupwardly into its initial position after theseveral compartments have been filled with nier'- chandise. c f

Immediately in` advance ofthe columns of compartments, the cabinet is formedwith a shelf 14 projecting forwardly from the compartments and in said shelf immediately in front of each column is formed a coin slot 15 through which coins of the proper denomination may be inserted to eect release-of a desired article. `'llheseveral coin slots yare so disposed that a coin inserted therein will drop at once'into a coin chute 16 which will guide the coin to an yoperating plungerf17 and which is provided with means whereby slugs, improper coins or other spurious devices will be ejected, the ejected device being placed upon a trough 18 and thence directed into a hopper 19 in the lower portion of the cabinet while'the 'good coins will be delivered Yinto another hopper 2O disposed at the rear of the hopper 19 and separated therefrom by a partition 21. These hoppers extend from side to side of the cabinet so that all the deposited coins will be received by the hoppers and directed int-o separate boxes or other receptacles in which they will collect until remofved bygthe ownerf orcustodian of the ma- Y illustration of the same is unnecessary.

In the operation of the machine, the closure 7- is moved downwardly with a step yby step movement so as lto successively uncover the compartments in the Acolumn to which it is fitted. On one edge of the door or closure, at the upper end thereof and extending vertically, there is a hn 22 which projects laterally from the 'door or closure behind the adjacent guard stripV 12 and is tapered downwardly, as shown in Fig. 2. Immediately below the Vshelf *14, there is a transverse angle bar 23 which provides a support for some of the parts Aand-also braces the cabinet. Pivoted y'uponthis cross bar 23is a valve or stop plate 24 which extends forwardly from the bar and is of such form and dimensions that it may extend vacross the area of the coin slot 15 below the same and thereby prevent the insertion of a coin when the associated column is empty. The valve or stop plate is provided with a depending lug 25 disposed eccentric to its pivot and a spring 2.6v is attached to said lug and to some adjacent fixed part of the structure so that its tendency is to swing the Avalve into a position away from the coin slot 15 and out of the path of an inserted coin. The `valve is also constructed with a tooth 26 which projects rearwardly from the pivot into the path of the lin 22, as shown inA Fig. 4, so that, when the closure approaches the lower limit of its movement and uncovers the lower- -most compartment, the stop plate will be rocked so as to be projected across the coin slot '15, When the' closure is restored to its initial position, the spring 26 at once swings the valve awayy from the coin slot. j

Below the column,V an angle bar 27 extends across the cabinet and to said angle bar, adjacent the side of the column, is secured an upstanding guide plate 28 having a vertical slot 29 therein through which is fitted a slide bar 30. Said slide bar extends forwardly and passes through a vertical slot 31 in a front guide bracket 32 which is secured upon a cross bar 33 in the cabinet in advance of the column and over the hopper. On that side of the slide which is presented to the column, there is secured a bracket o-r plate 34 having an upper edge curved, as shown at 35, downwardly and forwardly, and also secured upon the same side of the slide is a block or cam 3G having its under edge curved, as shown at 37,' to correspond to the curvature of the edge 35 of the plate or block 34 so that a passageway is provided for the several studs or projections 11 in the operation of the machine.

rlhe plate or bracket 34 has its upper portionxtended above the slide and projected for-` ward to dehne a hook or tongue 38 overhanging the cam block 36, as clearly shown. The upper edge of the camblock 36 is recessed, as

shown at 39, and pivoted uponthe side of the,

slide immediately over the front extremity of the block 36 is a dog 40 comprising a rearwardly extending arm 41 properly shaped to rest within the recess 39 of the cam block 36, as shown clearly in Fig. 7, and having :1r-

depending stop 42 at thev front end of said arm adapted Yto impinge against the front' extremity of the cam block 36and an upstanding lug or shoulder 43 on its upper edge Awhich cooperates with the projections 11, asx.; `will be presently more particularly set forth.

An expansion spring 44 is seated in a socket 45 formed in the base of the recess 39 and bears against the dog 40 so as to tend constantly to lift the arm 41 into the positionor key 49 may be inserted to be engaged through an opening provided therefor in the plunger, as will be understood. The guide 32 is an integralpart of a bracket which is secured upon the cross bar 33 andfrises from the front edge of the base plate 50 of said bracket, the base plate being secured upon the cross bar by a screw or rivetinl an obvious manner. At the outer end of the base plate 50, a vertical web or standard 51 rises therefrom and at the rear edge of this web 51,

Ynear the upper end of the same, is an outwardly projecting lug 52 toV which lis'attached the rear end of a contractilek spring 53 whichhas .its front end attached to a post 54 integral .beyond the -baseplate and the cross bar 33 and is turned laterally to provide a'stop plate 56 `against which the rear end of the plunger will normally abut, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. By referring to Fig. 6, it:will be noted that the guide 32, the web or wall 55, the web or standard 51 and the base plate 5() may be easily stamped from a single blank of sheet metal thereby eXpediting the manufacture and reducing the cost as well as facilitating the placing of the structure inposition in a cabinet. The guide 32v is, of course, provided with an opening- 57 through which the plunger may pass and by which it is guided, the plunger being further guided by an opening 58 inthe front wall of the cabinet, as shown in Fig. 3. v

The plunger is spaced from the web 51 a distancesuiiicient to accommodate a coin of the proper size and the coin, indicatedV at59, will beheld against falling by the plunger and the web 51 and will rest upon and against studs 151 on the inner side of the web 51, as will be understood upon reference tol Figs. 3 and 5.

Pivotally mounted within the slot 47 of the plunger is a dog 60 which hasone end normally projecting forwardly and beyond the side of the plunger in. suchV position that, when the plunger is drawn forward, said end of the dog will imp-inge4 against the web 32 and, consequently, prevent the plunger be ing drawn Jforwardly a full stro-ke to actuate the closure and expose a merchandise containing compartmenh The opposite end of the dog projects from the lslot 47 in such position that, if a proper coin has been inserted, it will ride against the edge of the coin rand the dog will be thereby rocked so that its front end will clear the web 32 an-d be disposed within the plunger to pass through the opening 57 therewith and permit delivery of the merchandise. A spring .61 attached to the dog and to the plunger-at the rear of the dog holds it normally in the web-engaging position, shown in Fig. 3. The plunger has a limited movement which will permit the dog to rock and clear the guide web'32 without binding against said web, and it will be understood that as the plunger isv drawn forward the dog will be held in position entirely housed within theplunger by riding against the face of `'the coin until the frontend of the dog has cleared the web or guard 32, whereupon the coin will lbe released and will roll oit its support into ythe hopper. f

` upper position.'

fIt-Will be observed, of course, thatwhen the sliding plate or closure 7 Ais raised, so as to cover the column of compartments, the con- :tents of the compartments will not be visible but a sample of the articles disposed in each Y column is .exposed in front of the column and for that purpose there is provided a'cover 62 which isehinged to the front edge of the shelf 14 and extends downwardly ytherefrom to rest upon the front wall of the cabinet.: In `front of yeach column, an opening 63 isV formed in this cover and below said opening a box 64 is secured to contain a. sample,k indicated at 65, of the goods provided in the associated column.' The boxinay conveniently be stamped from sheet metal and formed with flanges bearing against the under side Iof the cover to be secured thereto by screws,

indicated at 66, while the'wallsor sides of the box are shapedto form shoulders 67 supporting a .pane 68 of transparent material` Aare offered for sale without being able to surreptitiously remove a package. The cover 62 maybe locke-d 'in its closed. position, and when it 1s free and raised provides access to vthe operating mechanism so thatv any stoppage of the same may beremedied and also the parts may be manipulated to permit restocking of the column. Y

Assuming that a proper coin has been deposited and the plunger drawnorward, as

has lbeen described, so that the coin will be released to drop into the hopper and a full movement 4of the plunger has been effected, it will be seen that the slide 30 has also vbeen drawn forwardly to its full' extent. Normal- K ly one of the studs'11 rests upon the dog 40., as shown in Fig. 1 andin Fig. 7 .K When the slide 30 moves forwardly, the dog is drawn from underthis stud which is then caused to rest-upon the upper edge of the cam vblock 36, the door or closure 7 remaining in its wardly so as to bring the block 36 under the stud or projection, the dog 40 will be rocked into the position shown in Figs. 8 and 9 by the spring 44 and any attempt to push the plunger back will then be frustrated by the engagement of the upraised end of the arm 41 impinging against the stud, sothat the customer is compelled to impart a full vforward 'stroke to the plunger. rAs the slide continuesA its forward movement, the hook'38 will be carried over the engaged studY 11, as shown in Fig. 8, and,vconsequently, the plate or door 7 cannot then be raised and Veorts to shake themachine for the purpose of obtaining two articles for one coin will prove abortive.4 `As the plunger completes its forfward stroke', the stud 11 will bey alinedwith the cam passage between the blockl34 and As the `sli-de moves forf the cam block 36 and the door or sliding plate 7 may then descend to the extent permitted by the engagement of the stud with the curved surface 35. rIhe door will not, however, make a full down movement to entirely uncover a compartment until the slide has been retracted to permit the stud or projection 11 to resting upon the upper edge of the dog 40. The retraction of the plunger and the slide is, of course, caused by the contraction of the spring 53 which was put under tension when the plunger wasdrawn forward. The rearward movement of the plunger and the slide,

is limited bythe impact of the rear. end of Ythe vplunger against the stop plate 56, as has been stated and as will befunderstood. Upon `referring to Fig. 1, it will be noted that when the plunger and slide Aare thus retracted the studs 11 will be in a vertical plane spaced `rearwardly from the shoulder 43 of the dog 40 kand when the door has been lowered soras to uncover all the compartments in the column the studs belowthe uppermost stud will `be belowrthe front end of theblock 34 so that upward movement of the door would be pre- -v'ented by contact of the studs with theslide,

although thestud will readily clear the block inthe opening movement of the door. When `it is necessary to restock a column of compartments, the cover 62'is raised and the locking pin or key 49 withdrawn, whereupon the spring'53 will be further contracted Vand an additional rearward movement will be imparted to thev slide. This movement, if not limited, would carry the dog 40 rearwardly beyond the studs or projections 11 so that the door 7 would drop to the bottom of the cabinet but Vthe stop shoulder'43 will impinge against the stud and thereby limit the rearward movement ofthe slide, as will be understood upon reference to Fig. 1. After the compartments have been iilled, the operator Aby an upward. lift imparted to the fingerpiece x13 may raise the door 7 and the dog, being Vthus relieved or the weight of the door will swing to the position shown in Figs. 8 and 9 and the slide `will, be further .retractedso that the block 34 will Vbe carried beyond the planeetl the several studs or projections and the dog 40 likewise carried beyond said plane -to permitthe door or closure 7 `to be raised to the top of the column, the further retract- Ving movementror` theslide `being arrested by vimpact of the upstanding post 54v against the guide 32. They ingerpiece 13shou1d project vforwardly to such a distance that if the cover 62 be swung upwardly against the guards 12, said ingerpiece will project over the upper edge of the cover and thereby support the door while the slide is being again moved forward manually to permit the rein claim:

1. In a vending machine, the combination of a column of article-containing compartments, a closure slidably mounted at the front of the column to extend across all the compartments, spaced projectionson one edge of the closure, a slide mounted below the column vat one side of the closure, cam blocks on the slide defining a return passage for a projection on the closure, one of said blocks having an overhanging arm to extend over the entrance end'of the passage above the projection and prevent'upward release of the projection from said, passage, and means on the slide to prevent a reverse movement thereof to move said overhanging element from over the projection. v i

2. In a vending machine, the combination with a column of article-containing com` partments, a closure extending across all the compartmentsto cover the same, and spaced projections on one edge of the closure, of a slide at the side of thev closure having cam blocks presented to the closure'and Adefining an arcuate passage to receive one of said projections whereby a'vforward and then a rearward movement of the slide Will etfect downward movement of the closure to uncover a` compartment, a dog mounted on the slide at the entrance end of said passage, andmeans whereby after a projection has entered the passagethe dog will engage behind the projection to prevent its relative return movement. A

3.v In a vending machine, the combination 'oli a column ofI article-containing comparu ments, al closure for the fronts of all the compartments, spaced projections onv one edge of the closure, a slide at the side of the closure, cam blocks on the slide defining a sinuous passage for the successive projections on the closure whereby a forward and then a backward movement of the vslide will eect downward movement of the closure to uncover a compartment, a dog pivoted on the slide at the entrance end of said passage, one of the projections onthel closure normally 'resting on said dog, and a-stop lugY at the front end of the dog to arrest rearward move ment of the slide. g j

4. In avending machine, the combination of a column jof article-containing compartments, a closure forthe front ends of all the compartments, a series of projections on one edge of the closure, a slide having cam blocks thereon dening an arcuate passage for the successive projections whereby a forward movement of the slide followed by areverse movement thereof will effectV downward movement of the closure to uncover a compartment, a dog pivoted on the slide and normally supporting one of the projections, an operating plunger, a detachable connection between the plunger and the slide, yieldable means for retracting the slide, the dog being provided with a stop shoulder atits front end normally resisting rearward movement of the slide by engagement with the supported projection, and means for rocking the dog whereby when thev closure is lifted the slide may be fully retracted and the closure fully raised.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

BENJAMIN L. FRY. [L s] 

